Season Recap: End of the Bench

The Detroit Pistons’ season has been over since late April. It is time to first, look back at the season and look at what the offseason may hold. Today we begin our season review series. We will look back at each player’s season for Detroit, and how they did. First off, the back-end of the bench.

Joel Anthony

Joel Anthony did not play much throughout the season, but when he did, he was effective. Image: Detroit Free Press

A veteran’s veteran. Anthony only played in 19 games this season, and only scored 18 points throughout those entire 18 games. Anthony was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline as part of the Houston Rockets deal that brought Donatas Motiejunas to Detroit, but the trade was rescinded. He finished with a final stat line of 0.9ppg, 0.6 bpg. The highlight of Anthony’s season came in Detroit’s regular season finale against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He tallied 8 blocks in the game and had 7 points in a season high 25 minutes. Anthony was the third string center for Detroit.

Spencer Dinwiddie

Spencer Dinwiddie’s season did not go as planned. Slatted to be Detroit’s backup point guard while Brandon Jennings rehabbed before the season began, Stan Van Gundy brought in Steve Blake during the summer. Blake would manage the backup point guard job when Jennings was out, and then when Jennungs was later traded. Dinwiddie never got a real chance for Detroit this season, but when he played with the Grand Rapids Drive, he was great. Dinwiddie appeared in 12 games over the season, and averaged 4.8 points and 1.8 assists per game. Dinwiddie, like Anthony, also played well when he was put in the game, but never had the real chance to show he could be a better backup point guard than Steve Blake. A tough season for Dinwiddie, his chance may come next season, as the Pistons are unlikely to bring back Blake.

Darrun Hilliard

Darrun Hilliard rookie season showed promise, as he showed his ability on the wing. Image: Associated Press

The word first said about Darrun Hilliard when Stan Van Gundy and Jeff Bower selected him in the 2nd round of the 2015 NBA Draft was “who.” Not many people knew who Darrun Hilliard was when he became a Detroit Piston. It did not take them long to find out. Out of Villanova, Hilliard came into the league a four-year college made star. He was not the traditional star, but in his own way, he was one of the better players in college. He was a versatile scorer, and a more than capable defender. In the NBA, Hilliard’s abilities transitioned perfectly. He played in 38 games this season, while averaging 4.0 points and 1.2 rebounds in 10 minutes per game. He shot a healthy 38% from the three-point line, and shot 72.5% from the charity stripe. An efficient scorer and learning defender, Hilliard faces an important offseason ahead of him.

Jodie Meeks

Jodie Meeks was set for a rebound season with the Pistons, after struggling to settle in during his first season in Detroit. He had an injury filled 2014-2015 debut season, and his 2nd go around was not any better. He played in only three games during the season, as he suffered a Jones Fracture in the 2nd game of the season against the Utah Jazz. He averaged 7.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in those three games. He shot 4 of 9 from three, 44.4%. Meeks appeared in Detroit’s season finale against Cleveland, in which he tallied 20 points in 26 minutes. He enters the third and final year of his contract with the Pistons next season, but a rumor is circulating that he has played his last game as a Piston.

The back-end of the bench for Detroit was reliable throughout the season. When their names were called, they delivered. These four players, while being used sparingly, were able to contribute.